Medical Air & Surgical Air

Medical Air is generally supplied by a centralized compressed air plant to patient care areas using clean outside air. Pressures are maintained around 4 barg. Medical air can be used as surgical air when the pressures are raised to 7 barg. Surgical air is used in driving pneumatic tools in operating theatre areas. Both can be supplied via combined plant or separate standalone systems.

Medical air is used for a variety of patient applications. Many patients sensitive to oxygen toxicity are delivered air to lower their exposure to oxygen. Many of these patients have extremely delicate respiratory systems or processes which rely on a pure, accurate concentration of medical air. Some examples of patients dependent on a reliable, quality air supply would be neonates and those patients suffering from adult respiratory depression syndrome. Medical air is also used during anaesthesia as a substitute for nitrous oxide to reduce the high concentration of oxygen exposure. While the source of medical air may be a manifold with a bank of compressed air cylinders, most hospitals use a compressor system.